Search results

The purpose of this paper is to consider the methodological limitations of existing dominant research paradigms in entrepreneurship research. In order to encourage the use of little used methodologies to create higher quality data, an alternative approach is proposed whereby data triangulation from conventional quantitative and qualitative methods of the postal survey and the in‐depth interview are combined with biographical data.

By following a path of research, which embraces data triangulation from both contemporary and historical perspectives, this paper explores the benefits of embracing methods from disciplines outside the conventional confines of business research in order to better inform our understanding of smaller firm behaviour.

Introducing creativity into the research process mirrors the behaviour of entrepreneurial small firms, which often thrive in non‐linear environments where conventional linear, stepwise research methodologies fail to capture the full picture of owner/manager behaviour. Adoption of a biographical approach to entrepreneurship research can result in the uncovering of rich descriptions of valuable data, which would otherwise remain undiscovered if more conventional approaches were adopted, alone.

Whichever methodological approach is adopted, it will be open to criticism and bias. Biographical research has been criticised for its subjectivity in terms of the biographer imposing his or her own thinking on the process. However, good biographical research utilises the creative “story telling” strengths of the biographer as researcher to uncover clearer truths.

The paper presents a discussion of how to utilise biographical data as a management research tool, either as a stand‐alone method or in conjunction with other research methodologies through the process of data triangulation.

Following a more creative, biographical approach to researching entrepreneurship suggests adopting a more postmodern, or even critical approach. Management researchers can now begin to understand how chaos and fragmentation are located in a world where formal, linear methods of understanding are being superceded by more creative conceptualisations and interpretations of the truth.

The article makes a conceptual contribution to the substantiation of the foundations in personnel management for the development and decision-making in personnel assessment based on the biographical method.

When substantiating the scientific direction, a comparative analysis, a comparison of the theoretical provisions of leadership and the methodology of personnel assessment, a critical appraisal of the assessment centre and biographical method were used.

Modern science contains information about effective leadership and few grounds for objective selection for leadership positions. Why do some individuals become leaders in the churches, while others become leaders of business corporations? The accepted assessment tools allow obtaining information about the candidate, but do not have a scientific basis for making a decision about leadership in recruiting. Biographical psychology brings together leadership theories and assessment tools; it allows to establish a connection between developmental psychology, social, applied and organizational psychology and provides the integration of various directions in science. It allows a deeper understanding of the relationship between a person's biographical facts and his/her suitability in the profession to justify the reasons for leadership, as well as the grounds for selection for managerial positions.

Substantiation of biographical psychology will allow in the future to legitimize the conduct of such studies, to come closer to the truth in the selection for leadership and not only positions, to understand the connection between the biography of leader and organizational culture. Biographical psychology will contribute to the creation of scientific basis for recruiting. To consider biographical factors more significantly (gender, age, sexual orientation, differences in personal development, and not just executive experience in the resume), this will reduce the economic costs of introducing and supporting costly procedures in organizations, as well as increasing the objectivity of the assessment and selection of personnel in organizations.

The purpose of this paper is to respond to the Special Issue call by developing the case for enhancing understanding of entrepreneurial marketing by utilising biographical research. This builds on the limited existing research in entrepreneurial marketing using this approach.

Five entrepreneurial marketers are assessed using biographical research.

The individuals assessed clearly show the connection between the telling of a life story and how a business is run using an entrepreneurial marketing approach. Biographical techniques succeed in addressing the need for situation specific understanding. Entrepreneurial marketing core competencies help establish competitive advantage through their ability to influence behaviour, market creation and growth activities.

Biographical research contributes towards the additional theoretical and practical insight which entrepreneurial marketing requires.

Entrepreneurial marketers can make use of biographical research findings due to their readability and association with their own practices to help shape future strategies.

The biographical approach has been underutilised in entrepreneurial marketing research. These research results enhance existing understanding of the foundations of entrepreneurial marketing.

The purpose of this study is to discuss the significance of “contextual factors” on the talent development of underserved populations. Understanding the “context” and background of an individual provides greater insight into their life experiences (Paik, 2013). Race, class and gender, in particular, play a role in one’s life, providing both barriers and opportunities.

To examine contextual and other factors, in-depth biographical case studies were systematically studied across 10 diverse notable artists and scientists. Over 85 autobiographies, biographies and other sources were carefully content-analyzed for commonalities and differences in artists’ and scientists’ lives.

Because of their ascribed statuses (e.g. race, class, gender), these individuals had to navigate their unique school and life circumstances. Within their sociocultural contexts, however, key relationships (e.g. parents, teachers, mentors and peers) helped mitigate the challenges. All artists and scientists had a “village” – key stakeholders who invested in them at every stage of their talent development.

Parents, teachers, mentors and peers are not only critical, but they are lifelines for talent development. Key implications discuss the role of contextual factors and support networks for aspiring diverse artists and scientists.

The theoretical framework for this study is based on the productive giftedness model (PGM) (Paik, 2013, 2015). PGM includes 10 key psychosocial and environmental factors and how they influence “productive giftedness” (e.g. achievements, accomplishments, leadership). Within the model, both “alterable” and “contextual factors” provide access to different opportunities, support and resources. The model is considered generalizable and applicable for diverse populations.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a qualitative research method for which the empirical material is drawn from the experience of a practitioner-researcher.

First, a review of other autobiographical methods is made to show that the proposed method offers something different. Subsequently, it briefly outlines the epistemological and theoretical anchors that guided the development of the proposed method. Then it follows the path and the peculiarities of this method. And finally a few guidelines are presented for the legitimization of the knowledge generated, illustrated by an example.

The proposed method is aimed at experienced practitioners who are involved in a process of scientific research. Ideally, it is carried out with a co-searcher.

A new method of qualitative research to explore new avenues in management science.

The purpose of this paper is to share interdisciplinary ideas about the purpose of social theory in empirical research.

The formal interview took place in front of an audience at the Strong Structuration Theory and Management Research workshop at IAE de Paris, Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, on 10 May 2016. A recording was made, transcribed, and then edited. Elements from a recorded lecture on the same day are also included. A conversational format is retained to enhance the sense of interdisciplinary dialogue that characterises the research project.

The use of SST as a conceptual methodology is explained, and the use of agent’s conduct and agent’s context analyses is elucidated providing pointers regarding how accounting research can be developed further by basing the analysis in an understanding of the status and adequacy of knowledge on which people act to produce and reproduce structure.

The value of the interview is to provide insights into the process of empirical research and conceptualisation, which are likely to be particularly helpful for early career researchers.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the potential of life story for the teaching of sociology to Social Work students. It contains the results of a teaching experiment in higher education which aims to foster sociological imagination among students.

The study employs a mixed methodology. The quantitative data came from a survey handed out to the students with closed and open questions. The qualitative information came from the contents of class exercises in which the students had to connect the theoretical contents of the course of sociology with the biographical narratives of different research subjects.

The results reflect student satisfaction or appreciation regarding the use of the life story as a teaching resource, as well as a successful acquisition of sociological skills and knowledge, such as critical thinking, micro-macro connection and the interplay between structure and agency.

Life story and narrative methods should be employed in post-secondary education as teaching instruments.

The study contributes to expand the reflection on narrative techniques as a pedagogical tool. The paper provides several examples of class exercises with biographical narratives that have demonstrated to be successful for teaching sociology in higher education.

The purpose of this article is to advance biographical work in marketing, to summarize the status of biography in marketing, and to illustrate the process with an example of a developing study.

The article is based on a literature review of biography and a brief review of biography in marketing; the article illustrates biographical research and writing.

The discussion introduces approaches for undertaking marketing biography, especially the challenges of developing information, assessing its quality, as well as methods for telling the story.

Biography is a “flawed process”. It is difficult to fully elaborate the scope of biography in a journal length article let alone apply the principles. Some topics are shortened, others are hinted at, and others are omitted but the discussion points the way to undertaking biography.

This article introduces contemporary elements for the development of marketing biography illustrated with elements from the life of E.T. Grether.

This paper aims to analyse the question of whether women freely choose to pursue a non‐linear career or whether they are forced by their circumstances to take this path.

Semi‐structured interviews with older female employees, who had non‐linear careers, were conducted. The qualitative analysis of women's biographical narratives was achieved through adopting a socio‐biographical approach. The subjective view of success in the non‐linear careers was addressed.

All respondents would have preferred a linear career. However a non‐linear career is accepted as a possibility to follow one's own professional interests and to cope with professional insecurity. Moreover women discover strategies to cope with insecurity, organizational injustice or life course stereotypes, such as networking, additional qualifications, and making the change over to a self‐employed position.

As all interviews were conducted with German professionals and a small qualitative sample, the results need an adaptation for other countries, younger generations and different social strata.

The need for social political concepts for non‐linear careers became evident. The risk of the non‐linear careers should be pooled between individuals and organizations.

The study found that some decisions, which aim to avoid professional insecurity (e.g. additional qualification), produce non‐linearity and hence increase the insecurity. The importance of social constraints for individual career decisions has been emphasized in the paper.

The purpose of this paper is to make a specific attempt of historicizing outstanding academic leadership in the field of management history.

By using the biographical method and applying it to the material contained in Hodgetts's video interview of Wren and Bedeian's autobiography, the authors examine how outstanding management laureates, Wren and Bedeian, look back on their own lives and the people who influenced them.

The intellectual and institutional origins of their life stories are traced and the factors in Wren's and Bedeian's lives that might explain their pathways to becoming the US outstanding management historians as the Academy of Management Fellows are assessed.

The paper highlights the most outstanding achievements of the past in a manner that might be valuable when addressing the present day concerns about outstanding teaching and research in the field of management history.

The unique contribution of this study is its focus on showing how the manner in which outstanding management historians narrate the past may explain their present‐day achievements, and thus help readers understand that very past.